7 Ways Technology Has Changed the World
Even in just the last few decades, technological innovations have altered the course of humanity in incredible ways. Technology has changed the way we interact with nearly everything in our daily routines, from brushing our teeth to winding down in the evening after work. Let’s take a look at a few ways technology has shaped the world as we know it.
Security
Homeowners once relied on metal locks and keys to secure their home and possessions, while families in need of assistance had to have some spare change for a pay phone to get in touch with one another while on the go. Today, homes are protected by complicated security systems, and loved ones can swiftly connect with each other in emergency situations using just a few taps on their electronic devices.
Our personal devices are more secure than ever, with passcode protections, face recognition and a personal ICCID number on cell phone SIM cards. With secure digital passwords and unique ID numbers, intruders today need far more than just a lock picking kit to break in and steal valuable items or information.
Entertainment
With the availability of so many entertainment options, it’s a wonder that anyone is ever bored. After a rough day, there are seemingly limitless options to choose from after you’ve settled in on the couch to decompress, including video games, television shows, movies and even virtual reality experiences. Connecting with friends and family through entertainment is amazingly accessible, too. Many entertainment options involve cooperative options, and with online access, anyone can play virtual board game or share a new film with loved ones across the globe.
Healthcare
Technological advancements in the healthcare field have given both patients and providers access to better equipment, more accurate data and better diagnostic tools than ever thought possible. Through digitized medicine, doctors can simulate drug interactions, securely store patient records and even confer with peers to provide better treatment for their own patients.
Wearable medical technology allows patients to track their own vitals in real-time, including pulse, heart-rate, glucose levels and oxygen readings. This enables doctors to design treatment plans using up-to-date, accurate information for better patient outcomes.
Green Technology
With more accurate meteorological tools, climate experts have been able to better track the effects of modern life on the environment. With this information, coupled with new developments in renewable energy options, experts have moved swiftly toward more environmentally-friendly and renewable energy options. Many developments have also been designed to reverse the damage to the environment by removing carbon particles from the air and restore some of the damage to already-utilized fossil fuels, an energy source that could one day completely diminish without these interventions.
Transportation
Once thought to be a luxury of the distant future, today’s electric and self-driving cars are available even to the common man. Even fuel-reliant cars today have access to unprecedented technology that enables drivers to accurately map their destinations and estimate miles per gallon of fuel use. Carpooling is now a mainstream availability through ride-sharing apps. With just a few clicks, users can call a car driven by a contractor to take them to locations within their city or hitch a ride to the airport, all within minutes. Booking travel virtually, including train and airline tickets has made globetrotting an extraordinarily accessible option.
Communication
From virtual video calls to digital dating apps, the way mankind communicates is almost always through a screen — and no industry or relationship seems to be untouched by digitized communication. Young and old, most people today connect over the internet through short messages, hand-typed emails or sending photographs from vacations or milestones, keeping relationships alive via online methods. In fact, you don’t even need a close relationship with someone in order to reach out to them. Social media enables just about anyone to reach out to complete strangers to leave comments or, unfortunately, unkind remarks.
Artificial Intelligence
No, it’s not all robots. Most cell phones and other devices are capable of various levels of automation, most using pre-programmed algorithms and analytic processes to function optimally and improve the user’s experience.
Artificial intelligence is just leaving its infancy, but even in the short time it’s been around, computers are able to mimic human thought and interactions in remarkable ways. The technology still has a long way to go, but through artificial intelligence, industries such as banking, marketing, gaming, art and even chatting have been improved through intelligent, non-human machines.
With all the growth the world has seen through the technological boom, there are still new technologies being developed with each passing day. Technology once reserved for only the government or the richest, most elite members in society is now at the fingertips of most people across the world, making lives seem to move as quickly as the swift speed of digital innovation.
